Starbird bringing 15 locations to Pacific Northwest

September 23, 2026

Fast casual chicken concept Starbird Chicken is expanding into Washington state through a franchise agreement with Mehta Investment Group that will bring 1…

Closing the gap between order ready and order in hand

Why the last mile costs operators more than they think. The gap between order ready and order in hand is part of the operation that affects labor efficiency…

Presented by Apex Order Pickup Solutions

What is driving Kona Ice’s success?

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

Tony Lamb is the Founder and visionary behind Kona Ice, the tropical shaved-ice brand that turned an ice cream truck nightmare into experiences that customers…

Breadless launches franchise expansion with first multi-unit agreement

September 22, 2026

Detroit-based Breadless signed a multi-unit development agreement with Third Coast Harvest LLC, officially launching the brand's franchise expansion strategy.

HB Protein Smoothies signs 6-unit South Florida franchise deal

September 22, 2026

HB Protein Smoothies signed a six-unit development agreement with franchisee Bob Morris to expand in South Florida. The deal marks the Scottsdale…

KPOT Rolls Out Deliverect Across 140 U.S. Restaurants to Manage Third-Party Marketplace Ordering

Korean BBQ and hot pot chain partners with Deliverect for third-party order aggregation and menu management as it standardizes digital operations across its…

KPOT taps Deliverect to manage 3rd-party delivery orders across 140 locations

September 21, 2026

KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot has partnered with restaurant technology company Deliverect to handle third-party delivery order aggregation and menu management…

Chicken Salad Chick continues Florida expansion with Sarasota debut

September 21, 2026

Chicken Salad Chick will open a restaurant in Sarasota, Florida, on Sept. 29 as part of its continued expansion across the state.

Bread Head plans 4th Southern California location

September 21, 2026

Bread Head will open its fourth Southern California location in December 2026 at Topanga Village in Woodland Hills, California, less than 2½ years after the…

Meet the 6 brands taking the stage at the 2026 Perfect Pitch

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Bronx Burger Co., Dizzy Bird, PLOMO Quesadillas, Griller Bros, Redhead Burger and Tiki Bagel will compete in the 2026 competition.

Zaxbys signs 2 franchise agreements to expand in Mississippi

September 18, 2026

Zaxbys has signed two franchise agreements with brothers Alan and Eddie Gant to bring the Atlanta-based chicken chain to Winona and Kosciusko, Mississippi.

The restaurant of tomorrow takes center stage at #QSRNext 2026

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

#QSRNext 2026 will bring together restaurant executives and industry leaders to explore the forces reshaping quick service, including AI, drive-thru…

The Gyro Project making Hell’s Kitchen debut

September 17, 2026

The Gyro Project will open its 10th location on Oct. 15 at 600 9th Ave., in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, marking its seventh unit in New York City.

Accuracy is the New Loyalty

Order accuracy directly impacts restaurant profitability, customer trust and repeat business. In this webinar, Star Micronics explored where costly errors…

Presented by Star Micronics America

How Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ maintains food quality across shrinking footprints

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

September 16, 2026

Crave Founder Samantha Rincione is putting more emphasis on smaller footprints, lower operating costs and takeout and delivery.

Mo’ Bettahs to open 2nd Oklahoma City location

September 16, 2026

Mo' Bettahs will open a restaurant at 14020 N. Rockwell Ave., in Oklahoma City on Sept. 18. The location will be the Bountiful, Utah-based brand's second in…

Blaze Pizza celebrates 15th birthday

September 15, 2026

Blaze Pizza is marking its 15th anniversary with a one-day pizza deal for members of its Blaze Rewards loyalty program, the company announced in a news release.

How Nekter's CTO is using AI to turn more guests into regulars

Nékter Juice Bar CTO Jon Asher joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to break down how AI is reshaping guest personalization, loyalty…

Shake Shack tops loyalty study as burger chains battle for repeat customers

September 15, 2026

Shake Shack has the most loyal customer base among the nation's top burger chains, according to a study, from advertising platform Simpli.fi, offering fast…

GoTo Foods names Lucy Brady Jamba president, reshuffles additional portfolio roles

September 15, 2026

GoTo Foods has appointed Lucy Brady as president of Jamba and shifted leadership roles across its portfolio. The Atlanta-based company also named Nathan…